Brochures

Menopause & Hot Flash Relief

Overview

Menopause is a natural life stage every woman eventually goes through — roughly 6,000 women in the United States reach menopause every day, about 1.3 million a year. The years leading up to and following menopause, known as perimenopause, often bring a range of physical and emotional symptoms as hormone levels shift.

Symptoms

Vasomotor symptoms are the most common complaint: surveys find that about 81% of menopausal women experience hot flashes and 80% experience night sweats. Sleep disturbances affect 70–80% of women during this transition, and joint or muscular discomfort affects roughly two-thirds. Despite how common these symptoms are, many women never discuss them with a healthcare provider or seek treatment.

The TCM View

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menopause is understood as the natural decline of Kidney essence (Tian Gui) that occurs with age. As Kidney Yin declines, it can no longer balance Yang, leading to what is described as empty heat rising — the pattern most closely associated with hot flashes and night sweats. Liver Qi stagnation is often involved as well, contributing to the irritability, mood swings, and sleep disruption many women experience during this transition.

Research on Acupuncture for Menopause

A Cochrane systematic review of 16 randomized controlled trials involving 1,155 women found that acupuncture reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes, and improved quality of life, compared with no treatment or being placed on a waiting list.

The same review found acupuncture's advantage over sham (placebo) acupuncture was less clear, meaning some of the benefit may come from factors beyond the specific acupuncture points used. A separate 2018 systematic review supported by the North American Menopause Society concluded that acupuncture meaningfully reduces hot flash frequency and severity, with effects that persist over time.

How We Treat Menopausal Symptoms at Dragon Phoenix

At Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture, treatment for menopausal symptoms focuses on nourishing Kidney Yin and calming empty heat, with points selected to also address Liver Qi stagnation when mood or sleep symptoms are prominent. Auricular (ear) acupuncture and Chinese herbal support may be added depending on each patient's presentation.

What to Expect

Many patients notice a reduction in hot flash frequency and improved sleep within the first several sessions. Because menopause is a multi-year transition, an initial course of 8–10 treatments is typically recommended, followed by periodic visits to manage symptoms as they change over time.

Sources: Cochrane systematic review of acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes; 2018 systematic review supported by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).